Summer Sunrise & Clear Waters Beadwork Rings

I recently started making beadwork rings and I’m finding that they are like eating potato chips…the more I make, the more I want to make.  They are a nice project to do in a reasonably short time.  I enjoy making these while we are watching tv, especially if I don’t like the show.  😀

I made these two using peyote stitch with #11 cylinder seed beads (Delica) and some #15’s for the trims.  The blue and green ring (Clear Waters) has a simple trim just using a clear #15 seed bead in the last rows.  The tropical colored ring (Summer Sunrise) has a more detailed trim…I used pink #15’s to make a picot with a spiral look.

To see the listing for each, just click on the photo and it will direct you to my Etsy listing.

I will take orders for different sizes and colors…smaller sizes make cute knuckle rings…just email me at bohemianice@gmail.com or convo me at my Etsy shop BohemianIce

 

Ephesians 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Chalcedony Pendant

This lovely Chalcedony pendant is a good example of free form wire wrapping.

 I took  a good size (I suggest around 12 inches) of sterling silver, in this case.  Inserted the wire about half way through the chalcedony briolette.  It’s ok if one side of the wire is not exactly matched up with the other, but close in length.  I bent the wires upward and added my seed beads and Swarovski pearls.  Next, I crossed the wires at a place where I liked the look…it’s free form, so do your thing.  I made my wire wrapped loop up higher and wrapped my wire down from the loop in a free form style.

 

I just love the look of Chalcedony.  It’s a beautiful stone.  I have some more in my stash…I may have to make earrings next  🙂

 

Check out this pendant and my other artisan jewelry at  http://www.BohemianIce.etsy.com.

 

Click on the photo to see the listing for this pendant.

Red Crystal Earrings….loving these fire polished beads….

These are my newest creation, listed on etsy http://www.etsy.com/listing/89765821/earrings-red-creamy-faceted-ab-fire .

They are made on a sterling silver headpin and are wire wrapped on handmade sterling silver spiraled earwires.  I especially liked the new fire-polished crystal beads that I ordered and used.  I’ve never tried them before and I have to say that they are lovely colored and faceted nicely….sparkling lovely colors when you hold them to any light.  For an added finish, I added sterling silver bali-style daisy spacers and a couple of tiny seed beads.

To see these and other artisan crafted jewelry, visit my Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/BohemianIce

 

Want to know more about God and how He can work in your life?  http://www.settledinheaven.wordpress.com  and

http://www.youtube.com/settledinheaven

On Fire for Handmade

I belong to this great team of artisans.      “On Fire for Handmade” is the name of our team and we are artisans of all different kinds of media.  Our mission is to love, promote, cross-promote, share, and care for handmade and the talented people who create handmade items.  We are all artisans who sell our handmade items on Etsy and Artfire.

Anne Hopfer, our fearless leader and curator is a great part of the heart and soul behind this group.  Check out her Made for Me by Oaklie Etsy &  Made for Me by Oaklie Artfire for great crocheted items.  I love her handbags and scarves.

Anne recently put together a place where “On Fire for Handmade” members have their treasuries featured.  One of my treasuries “Shades of Sunny” is featured along with many other great treasuries of members.  You just got to see the beautiful handmade items for sale featured in these treasuries.  Take a look at “On Fire for Handmade Treasuries.” There is also other fellow teams featured with great handmade items for sale.

Check out our great group/team on facebook  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=114453101935100

New Line of Hammered Metal Earrings and Pendants

I recently listed these new copper earrings on my BohemianIce etsy.  I am starting a new line of hammered metal earrings and pendants in copper, sterling silver and brass.  I really enjoy working with metal…the bending, twisting, hammering, wrapping….to me, it’s all fun.  This pair is made in a zigzag shape….these and most of my earwires are handmade (I have a few manufactured ones left, but I like making my own).  I wire wrapped Swarovski Crystal Rivoli’s on this pair and hammered the copper for texture and sparkle.

To get a better view of these earrings, click here  http://www.etsy.com/listing/70853479/contemporary-styled-copper-earrings-with

Anyone interested in special ordering or wholesale for shops, contact me at bohemianice@gmail.com

Green….like Spring!

I don’t know about you, but I have had enough of winter….the white stuff still covers the ground outside.  I can’t wait to see those pretty little flowers showing up.  I need Spring and everything green.  Here’s a little bit of green for you all.  I recently made this green bracelet and listed it in my etsy shop BohemianIce here’ the link http://www.etsy.com/listing/67795227/green-multi-gemstone-and-pearl-bracelet

Well, I figure that I can share with you, who may be newbies to jewelry making, how to make a bracelet like this.  First, I used what’s called memory wire….it’s hard, coiled wire that can be used for making jewelry.  I like to get the good quality kind.  Snip off the amount that you want (how big a bracelet) with a, and this is very important, a not so good pair of heavy duty wire cutters…(DO NOT USE YOUR GOOD SNIPPERS OR WIRE CUTTERS…YOU’LL RUIN THEM).  Then file smooth both ends of the wire.  Next, take your round nose pliers and turn back the first end…you can add a charm here if you like.  Next, just add all of your desired beads, gemstones, pearls, etc.  Finally, finish off the finished end the same way that you did the first end. 

Happy jewelry designing!

Bohemian Ice Jewelry…Gold Spiral Wirewrapped Bracelet…please VOTE for my bracelet :D

Hey, all my peeps….I need a favor….I belong to a great group called “On Fire for Handmade.”  This group has a poll each week on a website called, “Made For Me By Oaklie.”  My  Gold Spiral Bracelet,  pictured here,  has been featured in this poll this week and I would LOVE to win.   The winner gets free advertising.  I can use the promotion.

The name of the poll is “Midas Touch.”  Please go to this page, madeformebyoaklie.com/greatfinds.html, scroll way down until you see my bracelet on the left titled “Bohemian Ice,” and you will see to the left of the picture a list of the participants.  Go to “Bohemian Ice,” I think it’s 6th from the bottom of the list, and click on the little dot to the left of the name….then go to the bottom of the list and click on “submit vote.”

I really appreciate your votes everyone!  You’re all the BEST! 😀

You can see more information on this bracelet and more of my jewelry at Bohemian Ice Jewelry Shop on Etsy. 

Here’s a shout out for my peeps and the sites:

Made For Me By Oaklie FB page  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Made-for-Me-by-Oaklie/102558979013?__a=1

Etsy Promo Love http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=128270993863622

Madeformebyoaklie etsy http://www.etsy.com/shop/madeformebyoaklie

Feb. 4, 2011 UPDATE   Thank you everyone for voting for me.  I did win. YAY.  I appreciate your votes  😀

Valentine’s Day on it’s way

If you have a loved one, you probably love Valentine’s Day.  What a nice day to put all of that hustle bustle on hold and bring out the romance.  Everyone has their own ideas about what romance should be.  To me, it doesn’t have to be a big fancy thing, like dinner or some special event.  I just love having my sweet husband look into my eyes and tell me he loves me and just snuggling up together and spending some special time with each other.  Although, not necessary, flowers are always wonderful to me….I just love flowers.  I’m one of those sweet, sappy romantics. 

For those who like to show their love through getting a gift for their woman, the love of their life, jewelry is always something most women love to receive.  That special sparkle, the thing that a woman can wear that makes her think of her sweetheart. 

I as an artist, enjoy creating jewelry that may be that special piece.  I love working with pearls, crystal, gemstones, wire….the materials used to make that one special piece. 

Please take a minute and look at the special pieces that I picked for Valentine’s Day.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/BohemianIce?section_id=7692497

If you’re interested in the sterling silver vintage upcycled heart in the picture, here is the link.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/66450687/beautifully-romantic-sterling-silver

Vintage Pearls & Swarovski Crystal…a couple of my favorite things in jewelry design

First of all, sorry for being gone so long from writing in this blog.  With that said…in this post, I will tell you about my expansion into designing and making jewelry that has vintage elements added.  I have a lot of old vintage jewelry past down through my family…and it occured to me that I would enjoy taking these vintage items apart and cleaning them to re-use and upcycle into new jewelry…I love doing this. 

This beautiful necklace is approx. 18 in. / 46 cm long.
Being upcycled, I took the original vintage necklace and cleaned and restrung the graduated creamy vintage faux pearls with durable flexible jewelry wire (coated with nylon). I added tiny silver lined opal czech glass beads in between each pearl. In the front where the pearls are largest, I added 4 (4mm)Swarovski silver crystal bicones to give that final sparkly touch. Finally, I re-added the original vintage sterling silver clasp. The findings that I used were sterling silver also.
You can see this necklace here  http://www.etsy.com/listing/66568783/romantic-upcycled-vintage-pearl-necklace

This necklace would make a lovely Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day gift or would be great for a wedding for the bride or bridesmaid.

The Beginning of a Painting….

Well, it all started when I went to my Wednesday morning art workshop where we, local artists do our art and catch up on all the usual artist stuff.  I didn’t have a new picture started, like I usually like to do ahead of time.  So I shuffled through my canvas art bag to find some birding and gardening magazines to get some ideas.

This coneflower is what developed out of a few reference photos that I used.  This was the beginning of a larger painting that I finished for an upcoming exhibit.  Here’s a “shout out” for our Geneva, Ohio Grape Jamboree Festival, which has an art exhibit as one of it’s events on the last full weekend of September every year.

So, first I started out with Arches 140 lb. cotton rag watercolor paper, which I swear by…..I like the cold-pressed version.

Next, I took a combination of watercolor pencils and watercolor paints to create the flower that you see here…..basically, penciling in the flower shapes and some of the shadows….then adding some water lightly (and I mean lightly…dip brush…dab on tissue….this was taught to me by an artist friend)…and carefully applying the wet brush to the penciled areas….also, adding watercolor paints where needed.

So, this is the beginning of my painting, which I will continue with the rest of the instruction in my next post……

Check back for further instruction and to see the final results   🙂

Also, check out my website www.alivewithcolor.com  where you can find links to my Etsy stores and an “about the artist” page.